NEW YORK -- Alex Rodriguez and the New York Yankees have agreed to the outline of a record $275 million, 10-year contract, a deal that potentially would allow him to earn millions more if he sets the career home run record.

The amount of the guaranteed money was revealed by a person familiar with the negotiations who spoke Thursday on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn't been finalized. A-Rod and his wife met Wednesday in Tampa, Fla., with brothers Hal and Hank Steinbrenner, but the parameters of the agreement were set in place last weekend.

"The meeting was a final get-together," Yankees senior vice president Hank Steinbrenner said. "He wanted to make sure myself and my brother knew that he was sincere and serious."

The Yankees still must draft the agreement with Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras. Asked whether the only remaining details were putting the deal on paper, Steinbrenner responded: "pretty much so."

Boras wasn't a part of the negotiations, in which Goldman Sachs managing directors John Mallory and Gerald Cardinale conducted shuttle diplomacy.

"They were the go-betweens, initially," Steinbrenner said. "That's how he reached out to us."

The Yankees were notified by Boras on Oct. 28 that Rodriguez was opting out of the final three seasons of his $252 million, 10-year contract -- the previous record -- and becoming a free agent. New York maintained then that it no longer would negotiate with A-Rod because the decision eliminated a $21.3 million subsidy from Texas that was negotiated in the 2004 trade.

About a week later, A-Rod contacted Mallory, a friend who works in private wealth management in Goldman's Los Angeles office. Rodriguez knew the Yankees have a close relationship with the investment bank, which was instrumental in the launch of the team's YES Network.

Mallory called Cardinale, who works in the merchant banking section in New York and helped finance the network. Cardinale in turn got in touch with Yankees president Randy Levine.

A-Rod and the Yankees exchanged proposals via the bankers, and the deal gradually was framed in about a dozen telephone calls.

The sides still are working on putting together a provision that would allow Rodriguez to share revenue created by his pursuit of the career home record held by Barry Bonds, who was indicted Thursday on perjury and obstruction charges. A-Rod has 518 homers, 244 shy of the mark.

"The Yankees have never had a player since Babe Ruth that really had a 100 percent chance" of setting the record, Steinbrenner said. "[Mickey] Mantle should have, but he had too many injuries. It's a historical achievement bonus more than it is an incentive bonus. There is no yearly incentive bonus."

That provision must be drafted carefully because of Major League Rule 3 (b) (5), which states no contract shall be approved "if it contains a bonus for playing, pitching or batting skill or if it provides for the payment of a bonus contingent on the standing of the signing club at the end of the championship season."

Even with that, the commissioner's office allowed the Boston Red Sox in 2003 to give Curt Schilling a provision for a $2 million raise in a season following a World Series championship. Boston won the title the following year.

The Yankees already have been in touch with Major League Baseball, and A-Rod's side contacted the players' association.

"Because he's generating such enormous revenue potential, both to the player and the club, there should be some way for the player and the club to capitalize on that achievement in some fashion," said Gene Orza, the union's chief operating officer. "The devil will be in the details. The minds of men and women in the sport should be able to figure this out."

Steinbrenner said Rodriguez was given bad advice by Boras during the time before the decision to opt out.

"Boras did a lot of good things for Alex through the years, and Alex knows that. I mean, obviously, he's going to look to Scott's advice on everything," Steinbrenner said. "That's not unusual today. It's not like he's the only one. And if an agent gets out of line or makes bad decisions, then that's going to hurt the player. And obviously, that's one of the things that happened here."

Rodriguez still winds up with baseball's largest contract, a fact that got the attention of Schilling.

"None of us are worth that much relative to 'real world' salaries," the pitcher wrote on his Web site. "But if someone in the game was getting a contract that big, I am not sure you could argue it being Alex. On the field this guy is the MVP-in-waiting every year, it seems."

Steinbrenner said he thinks that had Rodriguez tested the free-agent market, he would have gotten a more lucrative contract and cited the interest of the Los Angeles Dodgers, led by new manager Joe Torre, and perhaps other teams.

"There are a few cynics who say, 'Well, he really couldn't get this there,' " Steinbrenner said. "Trust me, he would have gotten probably more. He is making a sacrifice to be a Yankee, there's no question. ... He showed what was really in his heart and what he really wanted."

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press

Damn, that's a lot of money.

Frazod

11-15-2007, 07:40 PM

Sounds like Boras got publicly fisted. Works for me! :thumb:

Elwaysux

11-15-2007, 07:53 PM

A real sacrifice to be a Yankee??? What a joke. $252 million and sacrifice do not belong in the same realm.

ArrowheadHawk

11-15-2007, 07:56 PM

A real sacrifice to be a Yankee??? What a joke. $252 million and sacrifice do not belong in the same realm.must be rough

KCFalcon59

11-15-2007, 07:57 PM

Sounds like Boras got publicly fisted. Works for me! :thumb:

Yeah. Boras needed to be knocked down a few pegs. Boras and Fehr are a couple of scumbags.

2bikemike

11-15-2007, 08:06 PM

Just goes to show you how fugged up MLB is. Hopefully the Yankmees never win another World Series.

kcxiv

11-15-2007, 08:06 PM

Bah, there goes my hopes of the Dodgers somehow signing him. Next up Miguel Cabrerra.

kcxiv

11-15-2007, 08:07 PM

Yeah. Boras needed to be knocked down a few pegs. Boras and Fehr are a couple of scumbags.There job is to get as much as they can. I dont blame them. I blame the stupid MLB GM's that actually pony up that much cash. I still cant beleive the Red Sox gave 50 million JUST to talk to Dice K. Thats even more stupid.

Deberg_1990

11-15-2007, 08:11 PM

Someone needs to remind the Steinbrenners just how many titles Pay Rod has won.

kcxiv

11-15-2007, 08:15 PM

Someone needs to remind the Steinbrenners just how many titles Pay Rod has won.
Whats that have to do with a team game? The Yankee's have no excuse saying that Arod takes their whole pay roll. He was money this year in the play offs. The rest of his team wasnt though.

Team game.

Deberg_1990

11-15-2007, 08:17 PM

Whats that have to do with a team game? The Yankee's have no excuse saying that Arod takes their whole pay roll. He was money this year in the play offs. The rest of his team wasnt though.

Team game.

Exactly. Its been proven time and again that you dont need these "Mega Stars" to win a title or even be successful. The Mariners won 100 games after they got rid of Pay Rod.

Exactly. Its been proven time and again that you dont need these "Mega Stars" to win a title or even be successful. The Mariners won 100 games after they got rid of Pay Rod.

Pitching and clutch hitting win championships. Two things Pay Rod cant do.
He did do it this year though. He was awesome in the play offs, but when your pitching isnt doing well. I dont care what you do. You need pitching. Pitchig first, then everything else 2nd. Its just way to damn hard to win with average to sup par pitching. Look at the WS's winners lately and look at the top 3 pitchers of each team. Most of them teams had top noitch pitching.

The 2007 New York Yankee's had horrible overall pitching. Alot of the staff was out most of the year due to injury. Clemens was 112 years old. Age did catch up to him. He's just a mediocre pitcher now. I hate the Yankee's as much as i hate the Raiders, but Arod was not the reason why they were not successful in 2007.

barry_smilez20

11-15-2007, 08:29 PM

a-rod sucks

Cochise

11-15-2007, 08:35 PM

Someone needs to remind the Steinbrenners just how many titles Pay Rod has won.

Barry Sanders was a bad motherf*cker. I love watching that clip of him pwn Lynch.

rtmike

11-15-2007, 08:45 PM

Wasn't Barry born, raised somewhere in Kansas?

Cochise

11-15-2007, 08:47 PM

Wasn't Barry born, raised somewhere in Kansas?

Wichita, I think.

rtmike

11-15-2007, 08:54 PM

I still remember where I was when they announced his retirement, getting on 235 north off 54 east. The clover leaf on ramp came up on me too quick as I was merging, scared the ca-ca out of me.

Seems like only yesterday.

Valiant

11-15-2007, 08:56 PM

There job is to get as much as they can. I dont blame them. I blame the stupid MLB GM's that actually pony up that much cash. I still cant beleive the Red Sox gave 50 million JUST to talk to Dice K. Thats even more stupid.

Well with TV revenue and ticket sales for those two franchises 50 million is not much to them..

Al Bundy

11-15-2007, 09:06 PM

does this suck
I am surprised there weren't more Buccaneers lowlights in that video.. he killed us on more than one occasion.

Halfcan

11-15-2007, 09:08 PM

Exactly. Its been proven time and again that you dont need these "Mega Stars" to win a title or even be successful. The Mariners won 100 games after they got rid of Pay Rod.

ARod was basically the reason they made the playoffs last year, and certainly wasn't the reason why they were eliminated.

Not saying I like the guy though, he's a douche.

ClevelandBronco

11-16-2007, 02:22 AM

does this suck

All that talent and not an ounce of hot dog in him. Man, I wish I could have watched him some more.

BWillie

11-16-2007, 02:29 AM

MIGUEL! MIGUEL!

Is a fat ass. He's going to balloon up to like 270 by the time he's 33. I don't think he's got longevity in him. There is already concerns about his lack of training regime.

BWillie

11-16-2007, 02:33 AM

a-rod sucks

A-Rod will end up being in the top 5 of the best players of all time. How the hell can he suck? You listen to the New York media too much. New York fans are all retarded. The SOB bats .320, hits 55 homers, 155 rbis, and steals 30 bases a year.....and people say he sucks. What games on Earth are you watching? In the limited amount of at bats he's had in the post season he's still batting .280 and still dinging them out of the park.

I just don't understand it. The bastard is going to hit 900 home runs when it is said and done with.

kcxiv

11-16-2007, 02:57 AM

Is a fat ass. He's going to balloon up to like 270 by the time he's 33. I don't think he's got longevity in him. There is already concerns about his lack of training regime.
Thats ok, he's what 25 now? I will take his ass over Andy Laroche and Nomar at this point. Nomar is on his way downhill fast. Dodgers desperately need a damn 3rd baseman. Only problem is i think we have to give up some good young guys. I dont want the Dodgers to have to part ways with Kemp, Loney or Billingsly. Though 1 or 2 of them are going to have to go. I wouldnt mind trading all 3 for Willis and Cabrerra though. Or 2 and Kershaw.

MIAdragon

11-16-2007, 05:33 AM

A-Rod will end up being in the top 5 of the best players of all time.

I just don't understand it. The bastard is going to hit 900 home runs when it is said and done with.

All the same things said about Griffey Jr. A-Rod is around the same age where Griff started his decline.

MIAdragon

11-16-2007, 05:36 AM

Thats ok, he's what 25 now? I will take his ass over Andy Laroche and Nomar at this point. Nomar is on his way downhill fast. Dodgers desperately need a damn 3rd baseman. Only problem is i think we have to give up some good young guys. I dont want the Dodgers to have to part ways with Kemp, Loney or Billingsly. Though 1 or 2 of them are going to have to go. I wouldnt mind trading all 3 for Willis and Cabrerra though. Or 2 and Kershaw.
It looks like the Sox do too, Ive herd Laroche's name thrown around as a potential Lowell replacement. I think Mig Cabrerra is 24.

Pushead2

11-16-2007, 06:17 AM

As a Yankee fan I am glad they signed him again, I mean I feel all the contracts in Baseball are nuts but, I mean he was a solid bat for us. Now only if we can work on pitching :hmmm:

Ultra Peanut

11-16-2007, 06:36 AM

****. **** **** ****.

I was hoping he'd end up with the Angels or some other similarly inoffensive team.

All the same things said about Griffey Jr. A-Rod is around the same age where Griff started his decline.If A-Rod suddenly becomes a bubble boy like Griffey, sure. A-Rod has missed 34 games from ages 24-31. Griffey missed over 200 in that same span, which occurred just before the three years he spent wandering in the desert.

1. Boras pretty much just got owned, and not maybe he'll take his attitude down a couple of notches.

2. This will basically show players that THEY don't run the market, the owners do. Maybe they will now rethink just going out and looking for money.

3. With Arod back with New York, we don't have to worry about a World Series going to them for the next decade ROFL

DomerNKC

11-16-2007, 06:08 PM

does this suckyes. Nobody likes a Quitter. The music is even worse. Thanks for nothin.

MIAdragon

11-16-2007, 07:30 PM

****. **** **** ****.

I was hoping he'd end up with the Angels or some other similarly inoffensive team.

If A-Rod suddenly becomes a bubble boy like Griffey, sure. A-Rod has missed 34 games from ages 24-31. Griffey missed over 200 in that same span, which occurred just before the three years he spent wandering in the desert.

73 of those games were from a broken wrist when he slammed in to the center field wall. And 23 more the next year from another broken bone. Both were freak injuries the nagging stuff came over the next few years and never left.

Adept Havelock

11-16-2007, 07:33 PM

Sounds like Boras got publicly fisted. Works for me! :thumb:

Excellent news. :)

RJ

11-16-2007, 08:55 PM

You guys lost me.....easy to do, I admit.....but how was Boras "fisted" when his client just signed a $275 million contract? I don't think he'll be losing any customers as a result.

MIAdragon

11-16-2007, 09:34 PM

You guys lost me.....easy to do, I admit.....but how was Boras "fisted" when his client just signed a $275 million contract? I don't think he'll be losing any customers as a result.